


Sigil of a Direwolf

by Aonashe



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Arya Stark-centric, Dead Ned Stark, Deleted Scenes, Family Secrets, Game of Thrones Spoilers, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:27:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28699134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aonashe/pseuds/Aonashe
Summary: Arya Stark has a conversation with The Faceless Man and learns that her father, Ned Stark, may have hidden more from her than she thought.
Relationships: Jaqen H'ghar & Arya Stark
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Sigil of a Direwolf

Arya strode up to Jaqen H'ghar, who was offering water to an ill old man on the steps outside The House of Black and White. She stood quiet for a moment, observing him while he led the old man through the wooden doors. The Faceless Man turned towards her, shutting the door behind him. He had a glint in his eyes that suggested he already knew what she came to him for. 

"A girl has questions," he muttered, sensing Arya whining in her head. 

"I just wanted to know how you found me," she started. "and why did you only offer to help _me_ while there are so many others like me? Why did you choose to help me especially after you joined the Lannisters?" 

"Because a girl needed help," Jaqen said softly. 

"Gendry was there, he was in trouble too. Why did you offer your help to only me?" 

Jaqen remained quiet. He looked at her for a few moments, knowing that she was too eager to know the answers to all her questions. Slowly, he stepped forward towards her, lifting his chin and nodding slightly. 

"The girl wants to know the truth," he inquired. 

"Yes," Arya responded. 

"Is the girl ready?" 

"She is." 

"Very well then," the Faceless Man said. "A few years ago, a raven had come to The House of Black and White. It had come from King's Landing." 

"King's Landing?" Arya frowned. "Why would anyone from King's Landing send a raven here?" 

"Curious isn't it? Although, it bore the seal of a direwolf's head," he smirked. 

Arya and the man both knew that the seal of a direwolf belonged to only one house in Westeros, House Stark. Her own house. Suddenly, her mind exploded with questions. 

"Winterfell!" she exclaimed. "Who sent the raven?" 

"The raven brought a message from Lord Eddard Stark. Who happens to be a girl's father," he replied. 

This shocked Arya. Never in a thousand years would she have thought that her father had contact with The House of Black and White. These people were radically different from the Starks, and obviously very different from her father. She couldn't believe her ears! If any other person had told her this, she would immediately disregard them. However, this was coming from Jaqen H'ghar, The Faceless Man, a trusted person. He was the only person she trusted in the world except Jon. 

"Why would my father send a raven to Braavos? What did he say?" She asked, suspicious. 

Jaqen suddenly turned and started towards the maze beside the building. Arya immediately followed him, desperate to know everything she could. 

"Lord Eddard Stark requested us to look after his daughters and protect them from any possible threats," The Faceless Man eventually answered. "A couple days later, Robert Baratheon was declared dead and Eddard Stark was accused of betraying the king. I knew it was the time and went to King's Landing to find these girls. I found Sansa Stark first, however she was trying to fit into the Lannister family. As long as she remained loyal to the family, then she had no immediate threat. But there was the other girl, who went missing since the day her father was executed. I found her wisely escaping King's Landing. I managed to present myself to her as a prisoner so that she would free me. And free me she did. I followed her to Harrenhal and joined the Lannisters to gain their trust so when the time comes, I could use them. Eventually, well, the girl knows what happened after." 

The story sunk to the bottom of her stomach like a brick. She couldn't believe that Jaqen was looking out for her the entire time, but she still didn't understand what happened after he left for Braavos. 

"Then why did you allow me to stay with my friends after we escaped Harrenhal? You could have brought me here," Arya questioned. 

"The girl was out of threat. I realized that the girl needed to grow up and learn to survive on her own. The world is more brutal than she originally thought. So I gave her the choice, and she chose to see the world through her own eyes," he replied. 

"So you indirectly sent me to wander around with cruel people?" She snarked. 

"Yes." 

"And you always knew that I would come back?" 

"Yes. The girl needed to be trained." 

"Trained for what?"

"For anything the girl has to face in the future," he turned to her. 

"And what exactly will I have to face in the future?" she kept pushing. 

"Only time will tell." 

Arya still wondered how her father even knew what The Many Faced God was. As far as she could remember, her father had never mentioned it to her before. Sure, he told her stories about different cultures and religions, but he had never once mentioned The Many Faced God. 

"But why did my father specifically request The House of Black and White to protect us? How did he even know who you are?" 

The Faceless Man stopped in his tread and turned to fully face her. His silence hung in the air while he just simply stared into her shining eyes. He knew that she was not fully trained yet, that she was not ready. 

"A girl's father kept secrets which should remain that way. At least for now," he finally answered. 

"I've never imagined my father keeping any secrets," she murmured. "he was an honest man. A person who stood far away from conspiracies." 

"If someone has secrets, that does not mean that they are a bad man," Jaqen said. "Lord Eddard Stark was a noble man. He had many secrets, but they are best untold." 

"What kind of other secrets does he have?" 

Jaqen smirked at her insistence. "When the time comes, the girl will know. For that girl is Arya Stark." 

The Faceless Man drew his hand from his robe, handing a piece of parchment to Arya. He left in the very next moment, leaving her deep in thought about their conversation. She opened the scroll, which had a broken seal of a direwolf's head at the bottom. She knew her father's handwriting very well, and this was undoubtedly Ned Stark's handwriting. 

**Author's Note:**

> In the books, Arya is still in Braavos. If G.R.R Martin ever gets around to actually finishing his books, I would love to see something like this conversation happen between her and Jaqen.
> 
> I've had this work sitting around for awhile, and now I've decided to finally post it. I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
